The Access to the Countryside (Northern Ireland) Order 1983

2.—(1) If no representations or objections are duly made, or if any so made are withdrawn then– N.I.

(a) the Department may, if it thinks fit, confirm or make the order, as the case may be, with or without modifications;

(b) the district council may, except in the case of an access order, instead of submitting the order to the Department, confirm the order without any modification.

(2) If any representation or objection duly made is not withdrawn, the Department shall, before confirming or making the order,—

(a) cause a local inquiry to be held; or

(b) afford to any person by whom any representation or objection has been duly made and not withdrawn an opportunity of being heard by a person appointed by the Department for that purpose,

and after considering the report of the person appointed to hold the inquiry or to hear representations or objections, the Department may confirm or make the order, as the case may be, with or without modifications.

(3) Nothwithstanding anything in sub-paragraph (1) or (2), the Department shall not confirm or make an order so as to affect land not affected by the order as submitted or the draft order except after—

(a) giving such notice as appears to the Department to be requisite of its proposal to modify the order, specifying the time (which shall not be less than 28 days from the date of the first publication of the notice) within which, and the manner in which, representations or objections with respect to the proposal may be made,

(b) holding a local inquiry or affording to any person by whom any representation or objection has been duly made and not withdrawn an opportunity of being heard by a person appointed by the Department for the purpose, and

(c) considering the report of the person appointed to hold the inquiry or to hear representations or objections, as the case may be.